Mopani sends away more than 1000 workers over expensive power

Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), which is feeling the negative effect of expensive electricity has de-activated over 1,000 electronic access cards for employees engaged by companies whose contracts have been suspended by the mining firm.

This means that the over 1,000 workers cannot access MCM premises to continue with their duties.

The Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) has restricted power supply to MCM following a dispute that arose when the PF regime hiked electricity for both commercial and domestic usage, resulting in Mopani suspending contracts for its suppliers and contractors and threatening to lay off 4,700 workers.

Both Mineworkers Union of Zambia general secretary Joseph Chewe and Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors president Augustine Mubanga confirmed the development in separate interviews on Monday.

Mr Mubanga said there are about 300 companies whose contracts have been suspended by MCM and that each firm employs about 10 people.

“The blocking of cards for employees working for companies whose contracts were suspended by Mopani Copper Mines was done on Monday. We can safely say over 1,000 cards have been de-activated by the mining firm,” Mr Mubanga said.

The response by the PF regime especially state house has been to issue threats and ultimatums to Mopani.

@1 Zebige, It is First Quantum Minerals (FQM) that were chased from the DRC!! But we need “permanent medicine” to this Mopani nonsense otherwise we shall forever held hostage. When copper prices dropped they pruned workers, prices are up and they are supposed to pay the right price for electricity they prune workers! All the time they want avoid contributing to the common good of the country !!

Government has no capacity to negotiate better deals for itself and always gets outsmarted! Its not fair to blame the investors when you lack business sense and choose to throw in politics in economic science! Remember the observation “Too many degrees (graduates) in Zambia but where is the wisdom?” Intelligence is lacking to know what those who negotiate aim at achieving yet the investors have it all mapped out “Reap the maximum and give peanuts in return!”

It seems like only yesterday when our able Minister was laughed at by the other nations when they said ZESCO is the least in terms of tariffs on the globe, no wonder it was facing problems. But now that the government has reciprocated by increasing tariffs for both commercial and domestic some outside Investors are threatening to government that the tariffs are too high and yet it’s their brothers who rendered technical advice on what should be done for ZESCO to survive.
We don’t want ZESCO to collapse that is why us the citizens didn’t object to the increase in domestic tariffs, so Mopani should do the same for the benefit of the Zambian people. Why do the want to make abnormal profits all in the name of taking our nation for a ride.
Other Mining firms have agreed to the increased…

The language used in the article by the union guys sounds more like that of the Mopani whites. Why have they kept on issuing numbers of people affected? These guys are crooks and just want to arm-twist the govt. They are fighting govt. its either they want govt. to chip in grab the Mine then Mopani hands over the rotten mine and its liabilities. I know these whites.

This unfair contract for zambia was resigned in 2015, a period of hieghtened PF campaigns, a period when pf were soliciting campaign funds from everyone……who signed that disadvantageous contract to renew mopanis licence in 2015 ??

Mopani CEO should ask Kishore Kurmar ( former KCM CEO infamously known as KK) what happened to him after he proceeded to lay off some contract workers against Sata’s advice. The Mopani CEO seems to think that what happened to Kurmar can’t happen to him because he is a Boer. Mind you ECL was then the enforcer who finally put the nail in Kurmar’s fate. Kishore Kurmar was declared a prohibited Immigrant (PI). Up to now, I don’t know if Kurmar will ever set foot in this country. So this Boer son of a snake should not push his lack too far. The president should first lay off this CEO by declaring him a Prohibited Immigrant and cancel his work permit immediately so that we can see how he will work.